


Jehan and Hugs Transcends Time

by abigail_beth



Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Schönberg/Boublil, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Gen, Hugs, Spring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-30
Updated: 2013-04-30
Packaged: 2017-12-09 23:37:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/779282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/abigail_beth/pseuds/abigail_beth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is finally spring. Jehan just wants to give everyone hugs in celebration.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Jehan and Hugs Transcends Time

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to write Jehan hugs and suddenly 2700 words, so.  
> Have some hugs.  
> For the Revolutionary Brotherhood of the Travelling Trousers. Without them there would be no Jehan-hugs.  
> And thank Alice for the title.

It was finally spring. Really spring. There was no more “wake up in 30 degrees, warm up to 60, freeze again overnight” pseudo-spring. There were flowers, budding trees, birds singing, and green grass that morning dew would cling to while it sparkled in the sunlight. All of it made Jehan happier than he’d felt in a long time. It made him want to skip through the park and feel the grass between his toes before someone realized it was getting “too long” and cut it. He wanted to climb up a cliff-side and watch the sun come up from a ledge. That was, if he lived anywhere near a cliff.

Mostly, it made him want to give everyone hugs.  


He started with the library, with its large glass windows that let the sunlight flood the stacks of books and small study groups scattered between them. Jehan wandered, smiling at anyone who could catch his eye through the hair that, despite the ponytail, kept falling into his face. Somewhere in the back he nearly stumbled over Grantaire, who was slumped against a shelf in a ray of light, his legs jutting into the aisle, a bottle in his hand. Despite what appeared to be a miserable start to his day, it seemed that the spring had found its way into the cynic as well. Grantaire laughed and caught Jehan by the back of his vest before he could fall.  


“G’morning starshine!” He lifted his bottle in greeting, before taking a swig.  


“’Taire! It’s too early and too beautiful outside to be hiding in here drinking!” Grantaire shrugged and glanced over his shoulder through a hole he had obviously made in the line of books there. Jehan caught a glimpse of Enjolras and Combeferre pouring over their stacks of books and papers, pages and pens flying. He stifled a laugh and said nothing more on the subject. Jehan simply kneeled next to Grantaire and bundled the man into his arms. He smelled like alcohol and the books he’d been leaning on (for quite a long time, it seemed). It also seemed like he probably wasn’t aware of how long ago he’d washed. Jehan didn’t mind.  


“Um… J-an?” Grantaire’s voice was muffled against Jehan’s chest, one arm awkwardly returning the hug, the other holding his bottle as far away from possible spillage as he could reach.  


“Happy spring, ‘R! Try not to waste all of it not doing anything…?” Jehan pulled away and stood, waving as he rounded the bookcase to where Enjolras and Combeferre were absorbed in their studies/planning/whatever else they did in the library. As he left, he thought he heard Grantaire mumble something along the lines of, “’m doing important stuff here…”, but it sounded like he was smiling. Jehan didn’t pay it much attention. He had more hugs to give.  


He wasn’t sure if Enjolras and Combeferre noticed him as he approached their table. If they did, they were both ignoring him in favor of the work in front of them. After standing by their table for at least three minutes too long, he let out an over-dramatic sigh that would hopefully capture the attention of the golden-haired leader and his bespectacled friend. Combeferre raised his eyebrows and nodded in Jehan’s direction before going back to his books. Enjolras didn’t stir. Jehan started to wonder if he was even awake, but the occasional turning of pages and mumbling under his breath about anger towards whatever he was reading ensured Jehan that he was just too deeply-invested to care. His next sigh was much less dramatic and much more exasperated. Combeferre looked up again, over his spectacles, raising one eyebrow. Jehan smiled. It was large and true, and it threatened to split his cheeks to make more room on his face for the grin. Combeferre looked at him, patiently waiting for whatever it was Jehan was planning to say, a chuckle rising in his throat at the silly smile.  


Opting to forego words once more, Jehan rounded the table and nearly sat in Combeferre’s lap as he reached around to hug him. Combeferre stood to wrap his arms around the skinny poet in return, and all the while Jehan managed not to let go.  


“You are a wonderful friend.” He said over Combeferre’s shoulder.  


“I take it the weather is to your liking?” Comberre was really laughing now, a light laugh that didn’t much seem to fit his general seriousness, but was completely his all the same.  


“Absolutely! It’s the most beautiful day all year. No one could convince me otherwise.” Jehan was standing practically on his toes to keep his reach around Combeferre, who with a final squeeze set him back on his feet.  


“Actually, this morning there was-“ Enjolras had begun to speak without looking up from his books. Jehan cut him off.  


“Eeeeee, don’t ruin it!” His happiness bubbled in his stomach, and he ran around the table to grab Enjolras from behind, who looked mildly annoyed at the interruption. He looked up at Combeferre in exasperation, but his friend merely lifted his hands in surrender, a smile still on his lips. Jehan tried his best to get a smile out of Enjolras. It was a lofty endeavor, and after nuzzling his chin into the fluffy, shining curls in front of him, Jehan wasn’t quite sure it would work.  


“Prouvaire, you are nearly choking me.”  


“Aw, c’mon E.” He loosened his hold slightly, and set his head on Enjolras’s shoulder. “Look at the sun! You don’t have to focus on all the bad things all the time.”  


“I’m not focusing on the “bad things”. Merely the injustice of things, and what can be done for the betterment-“  


“E.”  


Enjolras rolled his eyes ever-so-slightly, but ceased speaking all the same. Jehan brushed his lips across his friend’s cheek and straightened up. He shrugged, and turned to go find the others. There were so many friends to hug, and only so many hours in the day before the sun began its descent into a reddening sky. As he left, he heard a voice, muffled slightly back in the books, and followed by another chuckle from Combeferre, “Thank you, Prouvaire.”  
It was spring. The sun was shining, the scent of flowers floated through the air on a light breeze, and Jehan Prouvaire still had many hugs left and many friends to give them to.  


He ran into Marius and Cosette on the street. Marius was stumbling over his feet at he held on to Cosette’s arm, not watching his step. Her laugh was light and floated through the air, hitting Jehan almost before he saw them round the corner. They were surely enjoying the springtime weather just as much as the poet was. Spring was the best time for lovers, after all.  


Jehan pulled a flower from a patch growing on the side of the road, and swooped up to the couple, tucking the bloom behind Cosette’s ear. She brushed her fingers over the petals and smiled.  


“Hello Jehan!” The light coolness in the breeze seemed to have crept into her voice. He saw Marius lean against her as she spoke, as if to feel her words as they escaped.  


“Young love is so beautiful, and just like the flowers it blossoms under the sun.” Jehan wrapped his arms around the couple’s shoulders, pulling them even closer together (if that was possible). Marius started in surprise, but Cosette wrapped her free arm around Jehan’s waist with another twinkling giggle. Marius pulled one arm out from between their bodies, where it had been clinging to Cosette’s hand, and draped it across Jehan’s shoulders with a smile. He stood there between the two, drinking in the sunshine playing across his face, Cosette’s hair, Marius’s sparkling eyes.  


Marius was the first to back out of the hug, but it was reluctantly. “We do have somewhere to be today…” his voice began to trail off into incomprehensible mumbling as he looked hopefully at Cosette, whose cheeks flushed slightly at the thought of whatever it was they had planned. Jehan clapped his hands and quickly shooed the lovers on their way, before Marius said anything more. They waved happily at him as they left.  


Feuilly was in his workshop, and while he was mostly focused on the work in front of him, he kept sending wistful glances through the front window at the bustling street outside. Jehan stood in the doorway until Feuilly’s next glance brought him to the artist’s attention. He grinned in relief at the presence of his friend, and the break from his work that it brought.  


“I’m glad to see you, my friend.” Feuilly walked toward Jehan, nearly in the sunlight let in from the door.  


“And I, you! Come, enjoy the day, you look like you could use a break.”  


“I could always use a break, Je-“ At this, Jehan hoisted Feuilly up and spun him around so he was standing outside of the workshop and fully in the daylight. As he set his friend down, Jehan’s hands lingered on his waist for a moment, before he decided to give the man in front of him a proper hug, no longer sheltered by the dingy air inside the building.  


There was a smile on Feuilly’s face when they parted, and he used one hand too shade his eyes from the sun. “Maybe I have been indoors too long.” He spoke halfway to Jehan, half to himself. “I will see you later, Jehan!” Feuilly nodded, and spun on his heel before merging into the steady stream of people that made their way down the street, enjoying the pleasant weather.  


Jehan waved after Feuilly, losing him quickly in the sunlight and people. He entered the workshop and made his way to the nearly-hidden door in the back that led to the apartment upstairs that was shared with Bahorel. He found the fighter asleep, sprawled in a chair with a slab of red meat covering half of his face.  
Moving silently, as not to wake his friend too suddenly, Jehan crept over and lifted the steak off of Bahorel’s face, pinched between two fingers. There was a growing black eye underneath, probably from another brawl Bahorel had managed to find himself in the night previous.  


“You have to be more careful, Bahorel.” Jehan spoke softly, barely above a whisper. He reached out towards the bruise on Bahorel’s face with gentle fingertips. As if he could sense the oncoming touch, Bahorel rolled over with a grunt, knocking his face against the back of the chair and waking himself with a curse.  


“Jean? What’re you doing here?” He reached up to rub the sleep out of his eyes, but managed to catch himself before touching the tender skin around his eye.  


“I come with the spring.” Jehan was still nearly whispering, Bahorel’s voice booming in contrast.  
Bahorel laughed. “I never know what you’re talking about.”  


“It’s a happy day! I’ve come to celebrate!” Jehan climbed onto the chair (or rather, he tried to. There wasn’t nearly enough room for two) next to Bahorel and wrapped his arms around the broad shoulders. Bahorel wrapped an arm around his friend in turn, rubbing a fist through Jehan’s hair. This did nothing to help the already pitiful state of his neglected ponytail.  


They stayed like that, Jehan curled as close as he could be to Bahorel’s side, as long as they could until it became too much effort to balance the both of their bodies on the chair.They tumbled onto the floor. Bahorel cursed again, no doubt hitting other newly formed bruises on the way down.  


“You are no doubt going to tell me to stop being lazy and go out to enjoy the day. Maybe I’ll go stomp on some flowers.” Jehan frowned at this and lightly punched Bahorel’s shoulder, before quickly apologizing just in case he’d hit another bruise.  
Bahorel laughed, filling the whole room, “Don’t worry, little man. I wouldn’t hurt a fly unless it gave me reason to.” Jehan raised an eyebrow at Bahorel’s black eye. “He deserved it.”  


Joly was convinced he was dying. That’s what Musichetta told Jehan when she let him into their apartment. “It’s just the changing of the seasons. We tell him he’s fine, but he insists on staying in bed ‘just in case’.” She made air quotes with her fingers on the last bit, just as they entered the bedroom.  
Instead of a simple hello, Joly greeted them with, “Jehan, don’t get too close I might be contagious.”  


“I’m sure I’ll be quite alright.” Musichetta had just sat down in a chair by his bed and handed him a bowl of soup that she had picked up on the way there. Bousset was lounging next to Joly in the bed, but had left a reasonable distance between them. That was probably at Joly’s insistence. “It seems Laigle and ‘Chetta are doing just fine.”  


“Well, they won’t listen to me.” Joly pouted as Bousset lifted a hand to his friend’s shoulder to quiet him.  


“Hello, Jehan. And how are you today?” Bousset spoke for both himself and Joly, who was blowing his nose loudly into Musichetta’s handkerchief.  


“I’m lovely! I so sorry you don’t feel well, Joly.” He approached the bed and gave Joly a quick squeeze. It was fast enough that Joly couldn’t protest, but still gentle. He was careful not to spill the soup that Joly had picked up again.  


“What did I say!?” Joly sounded terrified that Jehan had dared to get so close.  


“Awh, come off it. He’ll be fine.” Bousset leaned over for his turn at a hug. He was used to Jehan’s moods, and always eager for a hug from the poet. Between them, Joly looked stricken as they leaned over him. Musichetta and Bousset both laughed at his facial expressions. Feeling Bousset’s laugh against his chest, Jehan joined them. Joly couldn’t help but smile, at least a little.  


As Musichetta lead Jehan to the door once more before he left, he leaned in and wrapped his arms around her as well. “One for you too, ‘Chetta. Wouldn’t want to leave you out on such a magical day!”  


“Thank you, Jehan. I’ll be sure to keep the sunshine in the sickroom.” She returned his hug with equal, if not more, force.  
As he walked back out into the sun, he was nearly trampled by a boy running down the street. He turned to apologize quickly, and seemed to be crying softly. He wiped at his tears as he turned, “Sorr-“  


“’Ponine?”  


She paused. “Is it that obvious?” Jehan reached over and tucked a stray hair behind her ear.  


“No. I promise, you make a wonderful boy.” Her disguise wasn’t perfect, but Jehan had to admit that he was fooled at first. “Come here.” He held out his arms for her. She welcomed the embrace, folding her head into his shoulder.  


“Are you alright?” She nodded against him, not speaking about it. Her eyes were dry when she looked up at him after a minute or two.  


“I’m fine.” She half smiled at him, and quickly pulled away from the hug, setting her shoulders straight again, and looked around.  


“No one is staring. I promise.”  


“Right.” She saluted Jehan before running off into an alley. She could have at least said thanks, but that wasn’t much like Eponine.  


Jehan began to make his way to Courfeyrac’s, meandering through the streets and enjoying the day once more. He could never get enough of it. Now just entering the afternoon, the sun was high above, and a few wispy clouds danced lazily overhead.  


He was greeted at the door with a sloppy kiss to the forehead. “Wonderful day, isn’t it Jehan? I knew you would love it.” Courfeyrac slipped his arm around Jehan’s waist and walked him out onto the sidewalk, continuing down the street towards the park.  


“Hello to you too, Courf.” Jehan grinned, head against Courfeyrac’s shoulder as they walked. “I simply came by to give you a hug in celebration of the springtime.”  


Courfeyrac stopped and turned to look Jehan in the eye. “Really? Why didn’t you say so in the first place?” He took Jehan in his arms and all but swung him about, swaying back and forth.  


“You dragged me out as soon as I arrived, I seldom had time to propose-“  


“Oh, shut up. Enjoy your damn hug.”  


Jehan did.


End file.
